Antimicrobial activity of filling materials used in primary teeth pulpotomy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of pulp capping materials used in primary teeth (formocresol [FC], zinc oxide and eugenol cement [ZOE], ZOE mixed with FC [ZOEFC], mineral trioxide aggregate [MTA] and calcium hydroxide [CH]) against cariogenic bacteria. The agar plate diffusion test was used for the cultures, including saline solution as a negative control. A base layer of 15 mL of brain heart infusion agar was inoculated with 300 mL of each inoculum. Twelve wells were made and completely filled with one of the testing materials for each bacteria strain. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 48 h. Zones of microbial inhibition and material diffusion were measured and photographed. The results obtained were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney non-parametric tests. Respectively, the medium zones of bacteria inhibition of FC, ZOE, ZOEFC, MTA and CH against Streptococcus mutans growth were 28.5, 15.2, 20.8, 9.3 and 11.6; against Lactobacillus acidophilus growth were 28.7, 14.8, 15.3, 15.2 and 20.0, and against Actinomyces viscosus growth were 13.6, 13.5, 14.7, 10.0 and 13.6. We might confirmed the high antibacterial activity of FC solution, especially against S. mutans and L. acidophilus, as wells as, the low inhibitory effect of MTA cement on the cariogenic bacteria studied.